No funding guarantee for Killorglin bus shelter

Kevin Hughes

PLANS for a much needed bus shelter in Killorglin have been dealt a blow with the National Transport Authority (NTA) claiming a Kerry County Council delay means there is no guarantee that the project will now go ahead.

PLANS for a much needed bus shelter in Killorglin have been dealt a blow with the National Transport Authority (NTA) claiming a Kerry County Council delay means there is no guarantee that the project will now go ahead.

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No funding guarantee for Killorglin bus shelter

Independent.ie

PLANS for a much needed bus shelter in Killorglin have been dealt a blow with the National Transport Authority (NTA) claiming a Kerry County Council delay means there is no guarantee that the project will now go ahead.

In May the transport body agreed in principle to fund the installation of a bus shelter from its 2013 capital allocation but, as the current site is unsuitable, details of a newly selected site were to be forwarded by Kerry County Council.

Last week NTA Chief Executive Gerry Murphy said he still hadn't received information from the council on exactly where the newly proposed shelter was to be located and just how much it would cost.

His comments follow a query from Deputy Tom Fleming and mean that the project misses out on 2013 allocations and so will now compete for funds in next year's national budget.

"In the event that the required information is received soon, the authority will consider the possibility of providing funding for the project from the authority's capital allocation for 2014," Mr Murphy said.

"However, there is no guarantee that the project will receive any funding next year as the authority must ensure that the limited funding available is allocated to projects which will deliver the best value for the greatest number of transport users," he added.

Kerry County Council, meanwhile, says it has met with CIE and agreed a new location and has also been in contact with the NTA in relation to the application

At last week's Kerry County Council meeting Cllr Michael Cahill was told that an application was currently being prepared and that works would "hopefully" commence in the first quarter of 2014, subject to funding.

The council spokesperson added that a public consultation will be carried out in the New Year and quotations are currently being sought.

It's the latest chapter in a long running saga for Killorglin's beleaguered bus users. Indeed, in August 2001, The Kerryman reported how a spokesperson for Bus Eireann had confirmed that the company intended to erect a bus shelter "within the next few months" and had put the contract out to tender.